California Pizza Kitchen Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Source: Show Me St. Louis

BBQ Chicken Pieces:
10 ounces boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons favorite BBQ sauce (we use spicy sweet sauce)

In a large frying pan, cook the chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat until just cooked, 5-6 minutes. Do not overcook. Set aside in the refrigerator until chilled through.

Once chilled, coat the chicken with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce; set aside in the refrigerator.

For the Pizza:
1 recipe basic pizza dough, or honey wheat pizza dough
Cornmeal, semolina or flour for handling
1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce (we use spicy sweet sauce)
2 tablespoons shredded smoked gouda cheese
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 small red onion, sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Place a pizza stone in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F for one hour before cooking pizzas. Use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup BBQ sauce evenly over the surface of the prepared dough within the rim. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon smoked gouda cheese over the sauce. Cover with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Distribute half the chicken pieces evenly over the cheese (approximately 18 pieces). Place approximately 18-20 pieces of red onion over the surface. Sprinkle and additional 1/4 cup mozzarella over the top of the pizza. Transfer the pizza to the oven, bake until crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. When the pizza is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven; sprinkle 1 tablespoon cilantro over the hot surface. Slice and serve.

Basic Pizza Dough:
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1 1/2 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon for coating

Honey-Wheat Pizza Dough:
1 teaspoon yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
5 teaspoons clover honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon for coating

Making the Dough:
Dissolve the yeast in the water and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Be sure that the water is NOT hot; temperatures of 120 degrees F and above will kill the yeast, and your dough will not rise.

If using an upright mixer, use a mixing paddle because the batch size is too small for the dough hook to be effective. Combine all other ingredients (except additional teaspoon olive oil) and combine them with the dissolved yeast in the mixing bowl. (Do not pour the salt directly into the yeast water because this would kill some of the yeast.) Allow these 2 ingredients to mix gradually; use the lowest 2 speeds to mix the dough. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Over-mixing will produce tough, rubbery dough, and friction will cause dough to rise too fast.

If mixing by hand, place the dry ingredients in a 4 to 6-quart mixing bowl; make a well in the middle and pour in the liquids (reserving the teaspoon of olive oil). Use a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Once initial mixing is done, you can lightly oil your hands and begin kneading the dough; knead for 5 minutes. When done, the dough should be slightly tacky (that is, it should be barely beyond sticking to your hands).

Lightly oil the dough ball and the interior of a 1-quart glass bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl and seal the bowl with clear food wrap; seal airtight. Set aside at room temperature (70 to 80 degrees F) to rise until double in bulk; about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The dough could be used at this point, but it will not be that wonderful, chewy, flavorful dough that it will later become. Punch down the dough, re-form a nice round ball and return it to the same bowl; cover again with clear food wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight, covered airtight.

About 2 hours before you are ready to assemble your pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Use a sharp knife to divide the dough into 2 equal portions (or 4 equal portions if making appetizer-sized pizza or if smaller, 6-inch pizzas are desired).

Roll the smaller doughs into round balls on a smooth, clean surface; be sure to seal any holes by pinching or rolling.

Place the newly formed dough balls in a glass casserole dish, spaced far enough apart to allow for each to double in size. Seal the top of the dish air tight with clear food wrap. Set aside at room temperature until the dough balls have doubled in size (about two hours).